


Killjoys Never Die

by beanbitch



Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album), The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys (Comic)
Genre: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys Sequel AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23972512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beanbitch/pseuds/beanbitch
Summary: INCOMPLETE!!!"What do you mean, 'they're not dead'?""I mean that somehow... The original killjoys... They're alive."~~~A story that takes place after the events of the comics of The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.  The Girl (also the protagonist) gets caught in a chain of events that unravels a conspiracy.  Almost all the named characters from the comics appear at some point, it focuses mainly on The Girl and her own internal battle with her guilt, while she fights for a better future and to protect those she loves that are still alive.Party Poison and Kobra Kid will be siblings for the sake of the plot.Party Poison will be non binary (pronouns they/them) as readers requested.
Comments: 28
Kudos: 32





	1. Crawling out of my Comfort Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is NOT finished and I am going to leave it like that for a while. Read at your own risk. The part where I left it off isn't too cliffhanger-y but still the story is unfinished, so here's your warning.

  
  


“Party Poison. Kobra Kid. Fun Ghoul. Jet Star. Death Defying. Cherri Cola.”

With every name I pulled the trigger. Six shots, six fighting dummies, six fizzling holes in the center of each head. I lowered my ray gun and stared at them for a moment. It was barely a challenge anymore. Catharsis didn’t come easy. Not anymore.

I grabbed my katana from the ground and drew it from its sheath. My eyes focused on the closest dummy. I lowered myself into a defensive stand, I prepared myself to run.

“Party Poison.” 

I took off at full speed, closing the distance between the dummy and myself. 

“Kobra Kid.”

I was already halfway there, a few seconds more and I would be upon it.

“Fun Ghoul.” 

I reached it. Using my own running momentum, I launched myself at it, somersaulting in the air.

“Jet Star.” 

Before I hit the ground, I swung my katana full force at it, creating a gash. Sand poured out. 

“Death Defying.”

I landed on my feet behind the dummy, turned around in one swift movement and stabbed it in the back. 

“Cherri Cola.”

I twisted my katana before pulling it out of the dummy. Breathing heavily, I stared at the dummy. Nothing, I didn’t feel any different. I swung my katana again, this time hitting the dummy with the flat of the blade. No difference. I let the hilt slip through my fingers, the blade fell on the sand. I lowered myself into a fighting stance and raised my hands, fists clenched. Party Poison. I threw an experimental jab. Kobra Kid. This jab had more strength packed into it, it made the dummy shudder on its post. Fun Ghoul. I hit it again. Pain flashed on my unprotected knuckles. Jet Star. With every hit I felt heavier. With every hit I felt worse.

This was the opposite of what I wanted. 

And yet, I couldn’t stop myself. Death Defying. I hit the dummy, each hit packed more force, more strength, more anger and frustration. Cherri Cola. Regret.

BLI, Draculoids, Scarecrows, Val Velocity, Korse, The Director. 

My vision flashed red, something within me boiled. White hot anger. It was their fault. They had pulled the triggers. It was their fault, they had been the ones to kill the killjoys. It was their fault. Their fault. Their-

Mine?

“Honey! Come inside, it’s getting late!” I jerked my hand back, breaking my momentum. Confused, I lifted my gaze and looked towards the speaker, standing back at the entrance of the gas station. And then, everything seemed to melt away. I smiled at her, the sight of her still unreal, still a blessing. 

“I’ll be inside in a second, mom!” I called back, which earned a nod from her. She disappeared back into the station, leaving me alone with the mess I had made. With a sigh, I picked up the katana and walked past the dummy. As I did so, I caught the sight of blood on the dummy. “Shit-” I looked down at my knuckles immediately, seeing them injured and bleeding. For a moment I stared at them, not really feeling the pain. Then, I walked back into the gas station, picking up the sheath of my katana on the way.

Once inside, I made sure to lock the door behind me before sitting down at the counter with my mom. She was writing something down in a little notebook I had gotten her. Curiously, I peeked over her shoulder to see what she was writing.

_-very young? Red hair… Frankenstein mask… Good Luck visor… Black Flag Jacket. It’s confusing, I don’t-_

“Wait, are you remembering!?” I asked, looking at my mom, who immediately stopped writing and glanced at me.

“I don’t know… It’s like a dream. I do remember their faces, but nothing else. It’s like having a picture. I don’t know who they are, but… But they’re important.” She sighed, a bit of frustration apparent, before looking back at the notebook. “Tell me what you can about it.”

With that said, she grabbed the notebook and passed it to me. 

I skimmed the passage quickly, seeing how much new information there was. Ever since I found her (or rather she found me) and explained the whole situation, explained who she was and who I was, and the world we were in. However, she sometimes remembered flashes, names, faces. 

Like now. She was remembering _them_. 

“Okay, the fight, the flashes of battle. The Analog Wars. You fought in them with Dr. Death Defying and the four. The four, I’ve talked to you about them before. Red hair was Party Poison, Frankenstein Mask was Fun Ghoul, the Good Luck visor was Kobra Kid and the Black American Flag Jacket… That was Jet Star.” I took a shuddering breath before continuing. “Yes, you were captured. You… The woman you describe here sounds like The Director. The rest… I’m not sure about.” I explained handing the notebook back to her. She grabbed the notebook from my hand and paused. 

“You’re bleeding.” She noted.

“It’s nothing.” I quickly stated, hiding my hand from her view. Before I could come up with an excuse, she sighed and stood up from the counter. “It’s seriously just a scratch, I’ll be fine.” She grabbed her bag and pulled out two strips of bandages. “Mooom.” I complained as she grabbed my hand and set it on the counter. “I’ve told you to always wear your gloves when you go out to practice.” She poured water onto my bleeding knuckles and gently cleaned them. Then, she bandaged it carefully. Once finished, she moved onto my other hand. 

Once finished, she gave me a disapproving glance and gestured back to the office room, which was where we were currently sleeping. “Go eat something.”

With that, she grabbed her notebook and walked outside. 

At least she hadn’t asked why I had beat the defenseless dummy. I sighed, grabbed my katana along with my ray gun and went into the office. There I made myself comfortable and grabbed a can of soup. Though I would never admit so, I still missed them. All of them. I still miss the four, and Dr. D and Cherri Cola, I miss my cat, I miss the Ultra V’s… After the fall of Battery City, everything feels depressingly dull. I thought it would feel like some sort of release, like I would feel accomplished, but in reality I just felt empty.

And dreadful.

I felt like it wasn’t truly over. I felt like there was something missing, like there was much more to it than just BLI, than The Director and her subordinates.

Maybe it was just paranoia. Maybe it was truly over and the death of those I loved was what was keeping me inside this hole. With that in mind, I put the empty can aside and laid down on the mattress, closing my eyes and hoping for sleep. It evaded me for a long time, but when I was finally drifting off, finally succumbing…

The sound of shattering glass lurched me completely awake. 

“Take anything and everything that seems valuable. Strip the place clean, keep an eye out for anyone else.” A voice ordered, earning a few grunts of agreement.

Scavengers. I looked around quickly, trying to come up with a plan, any plan. The bad thing about the office was that it only had one door. The one leading to them. My eyes suddenly focused on my ray gun. It seemed like the obvious choice. Quietly, I grabbed it and aimed towards the door. I remained in that position for a few moments until someone approached. As soon as the person opened the door, I pulled the trigger. He dropped his gun immediately and reached for his arm, which was now injured and bleeding. I inched forward and grabbed his ray gun, now with two in hand. The sound attracted unwanted attention, however, so I had to act quick. I kicked the man back, removing him from the doorway and shut the door. 

In the moment of silence that followed, I aimed both ray guns at the door.

“If you know what’s best for you, you will step out of that room unarmed.” Who I assumed was their leader, said. I waited for anyone to test the door, but no one tried. I remained quiet for a moment. 

“Doesn’t sound like it’s in my best interests.” I called out, my eyes on the doorknob, waiting for it to rattle. 

“We have the woman.” He said. I didn’t reply, mostly because I hadn’t thought of that. Was she still alive, though? Why hadn’t she called out? Why wasn’t she speaking now? “If you step out now, we’ll spare you both.”

I hesitated. I needed a plan, I needed to stall for time.

“Let her talk to me.” I said, hoping that she was indeed still alive and just gagged or something of the sort. There was a short pause before-

“She’s unconscious.” He replied. _Son of a-_ I was about to step out and shoot at them, when I heard the chime signalling that the door was being opened.

Oh great… There’s more.

“I told you that next time you saw us we’d be better equipped.” A new female voice said. I held my breath, confused. What the hell was going on?

I waited for anyone else to speak, but it never happened. Instead, the shooting began. 

What the f-

“Pink! Take the woman outside, stop that bleeding.” Another new male voice ordered. Woman, bleeding, mom. I inched towards the door and very slowly opened it to peek out. The scavengers were too busy shooting at the other group to notice me, so they were easy picks. I grabbed my ray gun and aimed, not even hesitating as I pulled the trigger. Within seconds, the shooting was over. I then pointed the one ray gun at the man who had been stepping towards the bodies, and the purple haired woman who was standing a few feet behind him. There were two other men further back. 

“Who are you!? What do you want!” I asked, hoping I sounded braver than I felt. They shot each other a glance. Her glance held a question, his held an answer. They both lifted their hands in surrender, ray gun in hand, finger away from the trigger.

“We didn’t come for trouble. They stole from us, we just want our things back.” The female said, her tone calm. I had no reason to not believe her, but I was still skeptical. 

“Rev, I need help!” A woman from outside called. Her voice sounded urgent. No one moved, instead they looked towards me for any indication that I wasn’t going to shoot them as soon as they moved. “Rev, hurry up! She’s losing too much blood!”

I lowered the guns, suddenly fearful. Without thinking, I ran past them and through the door. There, I saw my mother, unconscious on the ground. Her skin was pale, breathing shallow, beads of sweat clung to her forehead. Holding a bloody cloth to her shoulder was a pink haired female. She looked up at me as soon as she heard me exit, already talking. 

“I need help stopping the blood, I-” Her voice died when she realized it was me. She seemed momentarily confused before she reached towards her thigh holster for her ray gun. Right at that moment, the other woman stepped out behind me. “Rev! Come on, hurry up.” I watched helplessly as they both got to work. 

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, taking a step forward. The purple haired woman, Rev, shook her head in response.

“Not now, kiddo. We got this.” 

It sounded like she was trying to convince herself...


	2. Unwelcomed Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Need supplies, don't know where I'm going. 
> 
> Who can I trust other than myself?
> 
> Finding old acquaintances, it's hard to let go of a grudge.

Silence. 

The new gang had set up camp just outside of the abandoned gas station. They had lit a fire, the occasional cackling was the only sound in the quiet night. They stared at the flames, their expressions somber. 

After a while, the two females, whose names were Pink Danger and Toxic Revolution, came to the fire to join us. 

We sat in a circle, too little to say to each other. Finally, I looked at Revolution. "How is she?" I asked, hoping my voice sounded steadier than it felt. Revolution seemed to tense in the slightest, she grimaced at the question. The silence stretched for an uncomfortable amount of time. Finally, Pink Danger was the one who replied. 

"She lost a lot of blood, but for now she's stable. I don't know how long that'll last however. We need better supplies." Danger replied, glancing at their leader. He had earlier introduced himself as Cyanide Agent. 

"What we have isn't enough?" He asked, shifting his gaze onto her. She shook her head.

After cleaning up the bodies of the scavengers, the males from the gang had left to find the scavengers' car. It hadn't been far away, the scavengers had merely left it out of earshot so we would not hear them coming. This meant that they had their stolen belongings back… And if that wasn't enough…

"Look, kid. You really helped us by taking care of those scavengers. Without you we could have suffered losses. We owe you. We're not letting her die." Revolution said, finally meeting my gaze. I nodded. This was my turn to look away. I needed supplies, needed a better plan.

They didn't seem to have ill intentions. Maybe I could trust them to look over my mom for a while… At least until I was able to get supplies… But from where?

There was a gang in Zone 3… They owed me a favor. Maybe it was time to collect.

A plan brewing, I stood up from the circle and walked into the gas station. There I grabbed my jacket and put it on. Maybe they had what I needed. I grabbed my fingerless gloves and stuffed them in my back pocket, only to grab my katana and gun holster next. 

I walked out of the gas station and directly to the scavenger's car.

"Woah! Kid, where are you going? It's the middle of the night!" Revolution asked, standing up from her place around the fire. Danger and Agent stood up behind her. 

"I think I know of a place where I can get supplies. I should be back in the morning." I replied, putting my katana in the passenger seat. "Before you ask, no. I need you to stay and look after my mother. I'll be fine."

"We can spare one person, two pairs of eyes work better than one." Agent said, but I merely shook my head.

"Travelling alone is more my style." With that said, before they could try to stop me, I got in the car and shut the door. They looked very unhappy, but I did not give it any thought. I turned the key in ignition and began to drive.

About ten minutes on the road, I stopped the car.

What if they didn't have any supplies. What if I was just wasting everyone's time.

There was one place that was sure to have supplies, however. One place that even scavengers could not pick clean. 

I turned back and drove deeper into Zone 1. Directly towards Battery City.

~~~

Upon arrival, there was not much to look at other than destruction and ruins. I got out of the car and put on the holster, making sure the gun was in easy reach. The katana, I carried it in my hand. 

The ruins were silent as I headed to the BLI facility. However, I felt as if I were being watched. As if in the shadows, right outside of my field of vision, someone was spying on me. I felt the hair on the back of my neck standing on end, a shiver ran down my spine. 

With every step, I was sure I was walking into a trap. 

Finally, I made it to the building. However, the dread, the sudden urge to turn around and flee, only got stronger. 

I stepped inside the dark building, only now grabbing my flashlight and turning it on. It flickered to life, the batteries way past their supposed usage. I made my way quietly through the facility, hoping to start at the top. I was about to make it to the stairs when I accidentally stepped on broken glass. The crunching was like an explosion in the silent facility.

Right at that moment, I heard a grunt.

I knew I wasn't alone in here.

I turned off my flashlight and ducked into the nearest office. It felt like an eternity when a figure stepped into the hall. They didn't carry any source of light with them, they seemed to be using the moonlight that bled through the windows as their guide. Very quietly, I grabbed my ray gun.

Who could it be? Scavenger? Loner? A drac whose soul had been lost forever?

I pointed my ray gun at the figure, ready to shoot. After a moment of looking around, the figure just shrugged and left. I snuck out of the office and followed. 

Whenever they turned a corner, I would wait a few seconds to do so myself. I waited for them to reunite with someone, waited for them to leave the building, or to go into one of the offices, but they just kept walking.

At some point, I wondered if they were going in circles. I hesitated for a moment before the next corner. Maybe I could confront them, as who they were and why they were here. After gathering the courage to do so, I rounded the corner.

And found them right on the turn, pointing their ray gun at me.

"Heard you following." The figure said, the voice oddly familiar. I tried to place them, but they interrupted my thoughts. "The ray gun. Drop it. The blade too." 

I glanced at my katana and my ray gun. Did I want to do that?

"No thanks." I replied. Upon hearing this, the figure wavered before lowering their gun. 

"It's you." The figure said, turning on a flashlight and pointing it directly at my face. Momentarily blinded, I stumbled back and raised my arms to shield my eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?" The person asked, their voice almost a sneer. 

Ah. I recognized that sneer. Rage boiled within me.

"I could ask you the same thing. Val Velocity."


	3. Truly a Conspiracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty sure Val lost his mind. 
> 
> Battery City is being creepy.
> 
> Zone 6 looking good right about now.

Val Velocity then proceeded to ignore me and walk away. It took all of my willpower to place my ray gun back in its holster. He didn’t even spare me another glance before disappearing into one of the offices. As much as I wanted to turn around and forget he was here, I couldn’t help but want to know why he was here.

“Wait, Val.” I called, entering the office he had disappeared into. He had lit a lantern which casted ghastly shadows on the walls. Now that I could see him, I noted that his hair was back to its original white color except for the tips, which were still red. There was a knife on the desk, along with Val’s name tag, his signature white jacket. His mask rested on top of the jacket. Other than that, the desk was littered with paper clippings. 

This office in itself was much cleaner than the rest of the facility. There was no broken glass in it, or excess of dust, something about it was almost welcoming. One of the walls was covered by a map of Battery City and the Zones. There were a few noticeable labels, among them Route Guano, the Mailbox, the Nest… But that was not all. There were images, article clippings and even some notes. I placed my katana on the table, being careful not to crumple any papers beneath it. That’s when I noticed it. Right behind the desk, on the floor. A sleeping bag. Beside it, the floor was littered with empty bottles.

I narrowed my eyes. 

Cordial. Val had been drinking. 

I looked up at him to find him already watching me. I opened my mouth to ask about the empty bottles, but he just raised one hand. 

“Don’t.” He merely said, his tone sounded oddly defeated.

“Fine. Then tell me about the discarded mask.” I replied without missing a beat. “Or the tag, for that matter. Why don’t you wear them anymore, huh?”

“Look, I-” He began, but for some reason, I didn’t find it in me to let him continue. 

“Oh, so you abandoned the Ultra V’s, is that it? So you could cozy up in here, only dealing with scavengers from time to time, drinking your sorrows away with- with cordial? And what about the shit on your wall, huh? Still being needlessly paranoid? Waiting for the right moment to kill more killjoys? Is that why their faces are here? Did you already kill these, is that why they’re marked?” I stormed over to the wall and jabbed my finger at a picture of a random killjoy, his face had been crossed out with a red marker. I then pointed at a woman, her face was also crossed out. I went on for every crossed out image, coming to a total of twelve. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did.” Venom on my tongue.

He just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Silence took over the room. 

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten, kid. I know what I did was wrong-” He began.

“Unforgivable even.” I supplied.

“-and I regret it. And I’ll have to live with it for the rest of my life.” He finished.

“As you deserve.” I replied. 

He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment. Another beat, silence again.

“You’re uncharacteristically angry.” He noted.

“When you don’t have to fight for your life every turn, when you’re not trying to run from a war, or trying to win it, emotions tend to catch up.” I said, turning towards the desk chair. It seemed to be broken, so I was careful not to disturb it as I sat on it, balancing precariously. 

“If you want to talk-” He began, but I just waved him away. 

“Tell me about the wall.” I repeated. Honestly, I knew I had been too harsh. Everyone made mistakes, and truly I wasn’t one to talk. My cowardice had led to the deaths of many. My selfishness dragged out this war for way too long. Maybe indirectly, the deaths of hundreds were in my hands. I was no hero, I was not in a place to be judgeful. And still I was angry. Dr. D’s death was still fresh in my mind. Along with the others. I saw them in my nightmares and in every waking moment. I couldn’t take it out on BLI, or the Dracs, or the Scarecrows, but I could take it out on Val. He had been the one to pull that trigger, after all.

And I knew he regretted it… I knew he possibly wished for redemption. And most of all, I knew he hadn’t killed the killjoys whose faces were on the wall.

But he had killed Dr. Death Defying. That alone was enough to fuel my rage. It was enough to ensure I did not apologize for lashing out.

“Just a stupid conspiracy.” He muttered, turning towards his sleeping bag. 

“Well tell me about it. You wouldn’t be working on it if you didn’t believe in it.” Though maybe my tone was a bit harsh, I did believe he had some reasoning behind this. 

Val Velocity glanced at me uncertainly before turning towards the wall. He stared at it for a moment, probably wondering where to start. Finally, he pointed at an image in the center. 

“This is Korse.” He began, glancing at me. I nodded. Korse. It might have been years ago, but the memory was still as clear as day. He had killed Party Poison. “This is Blue.” He then pointed at a bot with blue hair. “Here, is the Director.” He pointed at an image of a japanese woman. Ah, I also knew her. “I don’t have all the details of course, but here is what I do know. Korse went soft, he spared Blue at some point, he ‘killed’ the director. While you released the souls from the city, Destroya was also rampaging it. He had been activated by Blue. However, what I keep coming back to, is the Director. What Korse killed… They were all droids. No actual carbon life forms. I asked around, and they told me she had taken her own life. I came back here and found no body.”

“You think she’s still alive.” I said, nodding.

“I don’t know you, but to me it feels like there is something still out there. Like this is just the calm before the storm. That the war is not truly over, they are just quiet.” He said, turning back to the map. I did not say anything, mostly because I agreed. Everything did feel wrong, the war did not feel like it had been won. “I was out in the zones for a while. Keeping myself informed, keeping track of anything strange. Until killjoys started to go missing.” He pointed at the images of the killjoys. “The ones marked red are confirmed dead, their bodies have been found, though the whole ordeal is pretty icy. The ones marked green just faded into the static, no one has heard from them for days.”

“Okay, but how is this a conspiracy. Maybe scavengers killed ‘em.” I said, sitting forward impatiently. Val sighed.

“Kid, I’m still working on it. Plus, if it were scavengers, their bodies wouldn’t be missing.” Fair point. I nodded at him to go on. “So the Director’s body was never found. Killjoys are going missing, everything just feels wrong and- Wait. Where’s your cat?”

I picked at the hem of my jacket. “Ran away.” Was all I said. It seemed to satisfy Val. He just shook his head and turned towards the wall. 

“Well these places marked red are where the killjoys were last spotted before disappearing. There’s nothing off about them, but it almost seems like a pattern. I can’t tell what it is yet, however. I just think-” He began, but I stood up from my chair and approached the map. 

“What if BLI isn’t gone? What if they just… Fell off the grid? Is that what you’re getting at?” I asked, glancing at Val. He nodded. “You’re cage mad.” 

He just shrugged. “Maybe.”

But I couldn’t help but wonder… Maybe if he had more details, perhaps the pieces would fall into place. 

“What about Korse? Track him down yet?” I asked, nodding towards the picture.

“Yeah, he’s all the way out in Zone 6.” Val replied, which surprised me. 

“Why haven’t you paid him a visit?” I asked curiously, walking over to the table now. 

“First, I don’t have a car. Second… I…” He hesitated for a moment. “I want to make sure I have all the information I need. Wouldn’t want the meeting to go all Costa Rica.” 

Wow. He didn’t want to falsely accuse Korse, he didn’t want to bother the former Scarecrow, he didn’t want trouble. Perhaps I had truly been a little too harsh. 

“Well lucky for you, I have a car.” I said, grabbing my katana from the table and finally strapped it to my back. I then grabbed my gloves from my back pocket and put them on. He glanced at me suspiciously. “I came here for medical supplies. Help me find some, and I’ll take you out to Zone 6. Your conspiracy theory is absolutely crazy, but I’m curious. So… Let's help each other out.”

“Medical supplies? Are you okay?” He asked, seemingly concerned.

“I’m fine, they’re for my mother.” I replied, which honestly probably confused him more. “Anyway, let’s get to it.” I turned towards the door and froze. 

Something was wrong. I glanced at Val who was reaching for his ray gun. He felt it too. I almost felt sick, like there was something terrible happening. All my senses went haywire, anxiety spiked through my veins. It told me to move to run to react, and quickly! 

I drew my ray gun and turned towards the doorway. Then, before I had time to change my mind, I walked outside of the office. I wasn’t even fully outside when a force hit me on the side of my body, sending me sprawling towards the floor. The gun skittered away from my reach, broken glass pricked the exposed tips of my fingers. Before my assailant had time to reach for the gun, or attempt to grab me, or react at all, I flipped onto my back and kicked upwards, my feet connected with tender flesh. 

The figure groaned in pain and stumbled backwards. I crawled towards the ray gun reaching for it, and yet my fingers never grazed it. Where the hell was it? I sliced my fingers more trying to find the ray gun in the dark. The moonlight seemed to be playing tricks on me, the gun had just disappeared.

“Stand back!” I heard Val said. Too late though, because I felt an arm wrap around my waist and pull me up. I struggled, only to realize that the assailant was using me as a shield against Val. Hoping against hope that my assailant did not have a weapon, I threw my elbow back, hitting them solidly in the gut. There was a groan, but their grip only tightened. “Let her go.” Val said, hesitating. Not knowing whether he should lower the gun or not. 

“Drop it.” My assailant said, a voice that was eerily familiar. A voice hard to place, lost in memories I was trying to forget. A voice I cherished, whose owner I missed. And yet… Hearing it sounded so wrong… Why was that voice here? Whose voice was it to begin with? 

Val finally lowered the ray gun. I wished I could draw my blade, but it was much too uncomfortable, I’d end up slicing my back in the process. 

“What do you want?” Val asked, narrowing his eyes at the figure. 

“I just have a few questions, that’s all.” The figure replied, taking a step to the side. They dragged me along, it only took me a few seconds to realize that they were going for my ray gun. “Where am I?”

‘What do you mean, ‘where am I’?’ I wanted to ask. I wanted to fight, I wanted to struggle against the figure. I wanted to do whatever it took to escape, to win the fight. But every muscle in my body tensed up, every thought froze. Every single emotion disappeared, all my senses stopped working.

At that moment, I was alone. Alone in an undefined space. There was no sound, no sensations, no taste, no smell, no sight. At that moment, there was nothing that resembled any sort of feeling or emotion. Anger, frustration, rage, sadness, regret. It all disappeared without a trace. Something within me started to build. Something. An emotion perhaps? A thought? 

No thoughts. Everything was silent.

This something kept building and building until finally, within me it exploded. 

I knew that voice.

I knew that voice.

I knew who it was.

Then everything dropped back into place. 

“Wait, stop!” I yelled, struggling against the figure once again. I managed to catch them by surprise as I fled from their grasp. For a moment everyone debated their course of action, Val raised his gun, but I stopped him. 

In the light of the moonlight I could catch the sight of red hair. 

This time I didn’t even try to hide the raw emotion, the pain in my voice…

“Party Poison?”


	4. The Heart Remembers What The Mind Forgets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Party Poison's here... Maybe the others are too?
> 
> Fun Ghoul, Jet Star, Kobra Kid...
> 
> This is going to be a long ride home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning for Panic Attacks I guess???
> 
> There's a break in the story, paragraphs divided by (~~~). If you're uncomfortable reading the panic part, just skip forward to right after the break.
> 
> Also, if I accidentally used he/him regarding Party Poison I'm sorry. I've always viewed them as male, and I've also never written a non binary character before, so this is all pretty new to me.

The silence that followed my question was nuclear. We could hear the cackling of the small flame still within the office. We could hear the wind outside, rustling the papers that littered the streets. The three of us were frozen in place, too many thoughts, too little words… Where to begin? 

Party Poison stared at me for a moment, their eyes seemed to be searching my own. They stared as if my face held the answers they so desperately sought. Finally, I stepped towards them.

“What are you d- No. How did you- Why are- How long ha- What did-” I tried and tried to form at least one coherent question, but as soon as I began to ask one, my brain jumped onto the next. I began to feel a slight pressure on my chest. Realizing that I was getting agitated, I tried to calm my breathing. I felt like I wasn’t getting enough air, I gasped for more, trying to think, to think, to breathe, to think. 

“Woah, kid. It’s okay.” Val put his hand on my shoulder, which helped a little, but at the same time it didn’t. “Hey, hey. Look at me.” He gently turned me so that I was no longer facing Party Poison. My vision went blurry, I felt like I was getting less air. I could vaguely hear Val saying something, but it all seemed so far away. My senses went haywire, the temperature seemed to be rising. 

Something in my chest locked. I couldn’t breathe. I reached out to grab onto something, anything. Yet my fingers spasmed, and everything went dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then, I lurched awake. I sat up immediately, looking around wildly. Val Velocity and Party Poison both knelt beside me, both sporting concerned looks. It took me a few seconds to be completely aware of my surroundings. Battery City, BL/ind facility. Slowly, I shifted my gaze to Party Poison. For a few more seconds, I was confused. And then everything dropped back into place. 

“Shit, how long was I out?” I asked, quickly brushing them away and standing up from the floor. I spotted my ray gun a few feet away, the first rays of sunshine were already in the sky. 

“Not long, just a few minutes.” Val replied.

“We need to get out of here. _Now_.” I said, pouring every bit of urgency into my tone. “We need to leave; Val get your things.” I said, or rather ordered. Val just nodded and disappeared inside the office.

“Why? Why is it so important that we leave? What is so urgent about it? Who are you? Who am _I_?” Party Poison asked. It didn’t matter how many questions I had, they probably had twice as many. I turned to them, trying to find the most delicate way to say what was in my mind.

“Because the last time I saw you, you were shot in the head.” I replied and winced immediately after. Wow, that had not been what I meant to say, but now I couldn’t really take it back. “We don’t know why you’re here, but it can’t be good. And I-”

“You came here for medical supplies, didn’t you?” Val asked from inside the office, interrupting me in the process. Ah shit, I had completely forgotten about those.

“Do you know where I could find some?” I asked him, putting my ray gun in its holster. 

“Yeah, top floor.” He replied walking out of his office with his things all packed into a bag. I guess he had been prepared to move as soon as he had enough info. 

“Okay, go get the supplies, I’ll bring the car up front. And also… Bring the map with you. The map with all the images and everything, we need that information with us. See you outside.” With that, I beckoned for Party Poison to follow me. Together, we walked towards the exit.

“Wait, but who are you? Did you know me? How long ago since you last saw me? How do I know if I can trust you?” Party Poison asked. I’m sure they meant to ask one question, but the rest just came tumbling after. 

“Look, I need a minute to think and wrap my mind around all of this but… Yes, I did know you. Years ago, we used to… We were… We’re family.” I replied, putting my hand on the door handle. Suddenly, I stopped. “Wait. Wait.” 

“What?” They asked.

“Where did you come from? Were there others with you? What’s the first thing you remember?” I turned towards Party Poison. They remained quiet for a moment before finally pointing towards a door.

“Downstairs.” I nodded and jogged over towards the door, they followed. Even though the sun was already rising, it would only provide illumination in the floors that were aboveground. I grabbed my flashlight and opened the door. Behind it, a staircase leading to darkness.

I took a deep breath and began to descend. Party Poison followed close behind, keeping quiet. For some reason, the thought of having them there, having them near… It was comforting. Even though they didn’t remember me, even though they would probably not hesitate to turn their back on me. For the first time in years I actually felt a small sense of ease, of safety. 

And if the others were here too…

I reached the first basement floor and glanced at Party Poison. They shook their head, I kept descending. It went like this for a while, until I stepped onto the last floor. One last glance at Party Poison and they nodded. I took a deep breath and stepped into the empty hallway. Perhaps a bit paranoid, I drew my ray gun. I had no idea of what we would encounter, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. 

I let Party Poison take the lead. They took my flashlight and began to walk, leading me further into the hallway. Finally, they stopped in front of an open door. A soft blue glow seemed to emanate from within. I approached the door and glanced inside, pointing my ray gun at all the corners. After I was satisfied that no one lurked within, I lowered the gun and walked inside. What I saw made me stop in my tracks. 

They were here. They had been here, all four, all this time.

The room had a row of computers on one side, all the monitors dead except one. Odd. There was no electricity in the facility. Yet that wasn’t my biggest concern. On the other side of the room, there were three tall tubes and within each one, suspended in an unknown liquid was a person. They were all unconscious, their bodies covered by flimsy mint green hospital gowns. They each had a mask attached to their face providing oxygen, other cables were attached to various parts of their bodies. 

There was a fourth tube. It had been shattered. A thick viscous liquid surrounded the floor around it, covering the shattered glass. Wordlessly, I pointed at the broken tube and glanced at Party Poison. They nodded. So, the four of them had been here. Party Poison somehow managed to get out of their own tube. 

“We need to get them out of here.” I muttered, walking over to the live monitor. Party Poison approached one of the tubes and stared at the figure within. 

“I feel like I should know him.” They muttered, placing their hand on the glass. I glanced towards them, at the figure within the tube. Kobra Kid. I looked back towards the computer and stared at the screen. 

“Hey, Poison do me a favor and turn on the light switch.” I said, pointing towards it. Party Poison turned away from their brother and did as I asked. The lights flickered to life. “Why is there electricity here? There was none upstairs.” It didn’t make any sense. It frustrated me. Brushing the tedious questions aside, I focused on releasing the killjoys. It took a little digging, but I finally managed to find the tube controls.

I wished I could search the other files. The information on the killjoys, not only the Fabulous Four. On all of them. Something else titled ‘New Plan’, another that was supposedly a map of Battery City. But the files were locked, and I didn’t have time. Val was probably already outside, waiting for me… Maybe even worried. 

I released Fun Ghoul first. I turned towards the tube and saw that the viscous liquid was draining away. Fun Ghoul began to move a little, his movements were sluggish, but it was obvious he was awakening. He began to open his eyes just as the liquid was gone and the tube was opening. He looked around confused, possibly momentarily blinded, and took a step forward. His legs went out from beneath him and it sent him sprawling towards the ground. Party Poison was there to catch him. 

“What the f- I can’t see. Where-?” His voice was muffled by the mask as he turned to Party Poison and placed his hands on their chest. Very possibly to push them away if they turned out to be hostile. 

“It’s okay. Don’t be alarmed. You’re in-” Party Poison glanced at me.

“You’re in Battery City. It’s okay, you might be disoriented and confused, it’s only natural. I suggest you sit for a bit, rest for a minute.” I turned towards Party Poison. “Where did you find the jumpsuit?” I asked, noticing that they weren’t dressed like the others.

“Upstairs.” They replied, helping Fun Ghoul sit with his back to the wall after removing the oxygen mask and the cables. 

“Go get some more. And tell Val I’ll be upstairs shortly.” I said, turning to the computer and releasing Jet Star next. Poison just nodded and left the room. This time I stood on front of the tube, ready to catch him if he fell. As soon as the tube was open, I spoke. “Careful. You’ve been in there for a long time, moving won’t come easy. It’s okay if you’re confused or disoriented. I can help you sit until you get your bearings.” 

“How many… How many of us are there?” Fun Ghoul asked.

“You, him and one more.” I replied. Jet Star merely nodded and extended his hand towards me. After removing his mask and cables, I threw his arm over my shoulder and helped him walk towards the wall Fun Ghoul was currently leaning on. He was leaning heavily on me, and the viscous liquid from Party Poison’s tube was all over the floor, but I managed not to fall. Finally, I helped Jet Star sit on the floor. 

I walked back towards the computer and released Kobra Kid last. I was waiting for the water to drain when Party Poison and Val entered the room.

“They’re all here.” Val said, stating the obvious.

“Unknown voice. Who is it?” Fun Ghoul asked, pointing in Val’s general direction.

“That’s Val Velocity, he’s with us.” I stated. Party Poison stepped into place beside me and coaxed me away. I got the message and let them talk to Kobra Kid as I walked back to the two sitting against the wall. “Okay, how are you two feeling?”

“Hungry.” Fun Ghoul replied, which earned a smile from me. 

“Of course you are. Well, I’m gonna give you a quick briefing since you must be really confused. Your name is Fun Ghoul, and you-” I turned to Jet Star and patted his knee. “Are Jet Star. We’re currently in Battery City. Or… Well in the ruins of what it once was. Anyway, we need to get out of here. The sooner the better. I know you must be very disoriented, but I need you guys to trust me. Please.” 

“It’s not like we have other plans, right?” Fun Ghoul stated with a shrug. Jet Star shook his head in reply to Fun Ghoul’s question. At that moment Party Poison was arriving with Kobra Kid who had hopefully heard everything.

“What about my name?” Kobra Kid asked. His voice was ragged, throat possibly drier than the others. Their voices were all mildly rough, but for some reason Kobra Kid’s was worse. 

“Kobra Kid. You and Party Poison are siblings.” I said, earning a surprised expression from Party Poison. 

The next few minutes were spent answering questions. They mostly asked about me and how I knew them, they also asked about themselves and if they had known each other. Even though they didn’t know each other, they sort of fell into a nice dynamic. They clicked immediately, they made jokes and laughed. Some buried part of them remembered. 

As they all began to regain their lost senses, Party Poison helped them put on their respective jumpsuits. Finally, once they were all dressed, Val and I led the four of them outside. Together, we all headed to the car.

Everything was happening so quickly, and yet I didn’t want it to stop. If this was a dream, I didn’t want to wake up. They were here, they were back… 

They were back.


	5. Yup.  Old Married Couple.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Longest drive of my life.
> 
> They just won't shut up.
> 
> Jet Star and Kobra Kid, my heroes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick extra, hope you guys enjoy it!

“Maybe we should acknowledge what happened back at the facility… You know… You passed out and-” Val Velocity suggested, but I just waved him away before he could finish. 

“Maybe you should mind your business.” Was my only reply. I didn’t take my eyes off the road as I drove back towards the abandoned gas station. I wanted to arrive as soon as possible, get Revolution and the gang the supplies they needed for my mom. I wondered how she was doing… She had been stable last night, but what if… I was pried away from my thoughts however, by arguing in the car.

The four killjoys were currently squished into the back seat of the car. I was driving, and Val had been smart enough to claim the passenger seat, which left them to fight for comfort. I glanced through the rearview mirror and saw Fun Ghoul and Party Poison shooting each other disdainful glances.

“Get your hand away from my crotch.”

“My hand is nowhere NEAR your crotch.”

“Then what the hell is that? It ain’t my ankle!”

“You’re being dramatic.”

They went back to glaring at each other. The silence lasted for about two seconds.

“Stop it.”

“What, I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re breathing down my neck, it’s disgusting.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’ll just stop breathing then, does that help?”

“Okay, that’s it. We’re stopping for a rest.” I said, pulling over. Jet Star sighed in what could only have been relief when I announced it. I had barely parked the car when Party Poison and Fun Ghoul were already outside, stretching their limbs, while still giving each other dirty looks. “Hey, can you two… Not.” I called as soon as I exited the car, pointing at them. They broke eye contact, and each went their own way. Jet Star and Kobra Kid both got out too and leaned on the car, watching over the other two killjoys. Val Velocity opened the door, but he didn’t get out of the car.

“Are they always like this? Bickering and arguing?” Kobra Kid asked, shooting me a glance. I opened my mouth to say no, to clarify that it was just because they didn’t remember each other, but the words died in my throat. They had totally been like that before. All the goddam time. 

“Yup. Like an old married couple.” I agreed. We all watched in silence as Party Poison walked over to a shiny patch of sand and crouched over it. Curious about it, Fun Ghoul also approached. They both stared at the sand in silence for a few seconds before they began to talk in hushed tones. Then, they began to bury their hands in it. I sighed and turned towards Jet Star and Kobra Kid. “So, do you guys remember… Anything?”

They shot each other a glance before shrugging simultaneously. Jet Star spoke first. “I guess I’m starting to get bits and pieces. I remember flashing lights, I remember… Well, pain. And screaming. Lots of screaming.”

Kobra Kid just nodded. “That’s pretty much it. Blurred faces, I can’t really tell them apart. Whatever the memories are, they’re bad. They awaken some sort of primal instinct… The need to defend myself.”

I frowned at their statements, wondering… Maybe there were things that would be best if they didn’t remember. Years and years under BLI’s care… 

Could I even trust them?

The thought was intrusive, a thought I didn’t want to acknowledge. These were my friends, my family… These _were_ the killjoys I had grown up with. There was no way they would betray me. 

“Don’t you dare! You put that down!” Fun Ghoul shouted. I looked up just in time to see Party Poison swing their arm and open their fist. A cloud of sand engulfed Fun Ghoul. “You-” Fun Ghoul blinked repeatedly to get the sand out of his eyes. As he crouched to make himself a smaller target, I saw his hand close around a fistful of sand.

“Why can’t you guys calm down for two seconds.” Jet Star said, more to himself than the two killjoys before he began to approach them. Kobra Kid sighed and followed. I watched as Jet Star stood between the bickering killjoys and talked some sense into then. It seemed to be working, because Fun Ghoul released the sand in his grasp and shot Party Poison one last disdainful glance before storming back to the car. 

“They are literal children.” Val Velocity said. I glanced back to see him standing just outside of the car, watching the killjoys. Kobra Kid approached Party Poison and they talked in quiet tones. Finally, after a few moments of this, Party Poison nodded and together they walked back towards the car. Jet Star was the last to return. I shot him a smile and gave him a thumbs up.

“Thanks.” I told him. He nodded in acknowledgement and gave me a smile. 

“So anyway, how much longer?” Fun Ghoul asked, shaking the sand from his jumpsuit.

“Too long.” I muttered, getting in the car. They followed suit and finally, we were back on the road again.


	6. Reunions, Reunions...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission Retrieve Medical Supplies: Success.
> 
> Mission Get Party Poison and Fun Ghoul to Stop Fighting: Success.
> 
> Mission Find Korse and Ask Some Questions: ... In Process.

By the time we arrived at the abandoned gas station, there was finally peace in the car. Apparently exhausted from their constant bickering, Party Poison and Fun Ghoul had each dozed off, leaning on each other. Go figure. 

By the time I parked the car by the station, it was already high noon and we were all hungry. After awaking the sleeping pair, everyone got out of the car and walked around, stretching their limbs, letting the blood flow. The first one outside of the station was Revolution, her hand on the ray gun in its holster. Her eyes landed on me first, and then slowly shifted between the other five. Slowly, she took a step back, as if ready to bolt back in. 

Yeah, it probably didn’t look too good that I had brought back a whole gang.

“Um, kid?” She asked, her eyes finally landing on me once again.

“It’s a very, _very_ long story. I brought the supplies though.” I extended my hand towards Val, who handed me a satchel. It was heavy with supplies, which I promptly handed to Revolution. She grabbed the satchel and looked inside at the supplies, then she slung it over her shoulder.

“Okay yeah, this works. Um… Do you… Old friends?” She asked. For a moment she looked at Val, then she narrowed her eyes. I glanced back at him and saw that he had developed a sudden interest in his boots. I looked back at Revolution and opened my mouth to reply, but she held up a hand to silence me. “No way.” She muttered, which just caused Val to look up. This only seemed to confirm her suspicions. “Val-fucking-Velocity. I thought you were dead.”

“I thought you were a Drac.” Was his reply. Revolution scowled in the slightest and opened her mouth to say something, but Fun Ghoul decided that this was the best moment to join the conversation. 

“I love the friendly reunion, but I’m also starving. Do you guys have any food around here?” He asked, stepping forward from the small group still huddled at the car. Right at that moment, Cyanide Agent stepped out from the station and paused when he saw the killjoys. He narrowed his eyes at Val. 

“Yeah, I get it. We need to talk.” Val said, throwing his hands up in the air. “Let’s settle down first, Fun Ghoul is right, we need to eat.”

Revolution stared at Val for a moment after he said that, and then she looked at Fun Ghoul. Finally, she looked at the other three. I could see the wheels turning in her brain, her mind connecting the dots… She looked at Cyanide Agent, who looked about as confused as the other three killjoys. 

“Fun Ghoul. You said Fun Ghoul. Like, like _The_ Fun Ghoul. Does that mean- does that mean that-” Revolution rubbed her forehead, as if the information was too much to process. “You mean to tell me that these are the actual killjoys. Like the original fabulous killjoys. Like Party Poison, Jet Star, Kobra Kid… But they’re dead. But they’re not. Why do they look so young? Wait, but that means- That means that you’re _her_. You saved Battery Ci- You saved us. Twice. What-” Revolution was interrupted by Pink Danger who stepped out from the station.

“Hey, why are you taking so-” She trailed off when she saw the killjoys. Just like the Revolution and Cyanide Agent, when she saw Val she narrowed her eyes and scowled. “ _You._ ” There was so much venom in her voice, even I took a step away from Val. Whatever was going on there, I did not want to be a part of it. She stalked over to Val, and if I didn’t know any better, I would have said that she was about to hit him, but Revolution caught her wrist.

“Wait, wait. Pink, look. Those are the fabulous four.” Revolution stated, gesturing towards the four, who were beginning to look uncomfortable. Pink gave Val a deadly glare that clearly said, ‘I’m not through with you’, before turning to the killjoys. 

“No way.” Pink said.

“Yup.”

“No fucking way.” She said.

“We were going to eat?” Party Poison asked, their tone hopeful.

“Right! Come on in.” Cyanide Agent said, beckoning them inside. Together, we all stepped inside the gas station. The door to the office was open, and inside I would see my mother laying on the mattress. Sitting on each side of the door were the other two members of the gang, I was then informed that they were twins and that their names were Violent Ember and Ice Killer. Despite their less than friendly names, they both waved at us and smiled. 

I went to the office first, to check on my mother. At first, she looked like she was just sleeping. However, the longer I looked, the more worried I got. Her skin was paler than usual, there were beads of sweat clinging to her forehead, the skin around the bandage was red. I dropped to my knees beside her and grabbed her hand.

“You’re going to be fine. We got the medicine, and honestly it was just a scratch. You’re stronger than it.” I whispered, squeezing her hand a bit. She stirred in the slightest but remained unconscious. With a sigh, I stood and glanced back at the killjoys. Cyanide Agent and Toxic Revolution were handing out food for them to eat. “They’re alive.” I told her. “The Killjoys, they’re here.”

With that, I walked over to them and leaned sideways on the counter. 

“I’m leaving the killjoys in your care.” I announced to the gang. “If anything happens to them or my mother… Well, I really don’t think threats are necessary. I should be back by tomorrow. If I’m not, wait another day. If I still haven’t arrived, I need you to make sure my mother is stable before moving on. Leave enough supplies for a few days, she’ll figure out the rest. As for the killjoys, they can take care of themselves.” I stated, recalling Party Poison’s display of skill back at the BLI facility. 

“Where are you going?” Revolution asked. “Kid, you didn’t sleep at all last night and now you’re going out again? What’s going on?” 

“I need to stop at Zone 6. Don’t worry, Val is coming with me.” I replied, grabbing my bag and stuffing some supplies into it, among them, the ray gun I had stolen from the scavengers. Revolution gave Val one glance and shook her head.

“Yeah, no. Where are you going? Why Zone 6?” She asked, seemingly not convinced. 

“Gotta go talk to an old friend. Korse.” I said, which caused every person in the room to turn their heads towards me, even the amnesiac killjoys. “You guys worry too much.” I said, waving them away before stepping out of the station and taking my bag to the car. As soon as I stepped outside, arguing broke out inside the station. Everyone was talking at the same time, random accusations, confused statements, reassuring words. 

I faced the gas station and leaned back on the car, waiting for Val to hurry up and come out. Instead, Jet Star stepped out of the station. He walked over to me and spoke in his calm, kind voice. 

“Let me come with you. I won’t slow you down, I just need to know you’re safe.” Had it been anyone else, I would have told them to get lost. ‘I can take care of myself,’ I would have said. ‘I’m not a child.’ But this was Jet Star we were talking about. I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to. There was a small moment of silence before I shrugged. 

“Sure. It’s going to be a long ride. And also, you need a ray gun. We have a few extras.” I stated, reaching into my back and grabbing the scavenger’s ray gun. “I don’t know how your memory works but, uh… Don’t threaten anyone unless you’re going to shoot, don’t shoot unless you have to.” 

He nodded and grabbed the ray gun. Val Velocity then stepped out, looking a bit shaken.

“Time to go.” He quickly said, heading directly towards the car. Toxic Revolution stepped out before we could leave.

“No. I’m coming with you.” She said. I opened my mouth to argue, but she shook her head. “No, I am not taking no as an answer, not this time. I’m fine with you traveling alone but I won’t let you go to Zone 6 of all places, with Val fucking Velocity, an amnesiac killjoy, and a former Scarecrow. Try again, kid.”

“Oh, yeah. Just add a former Drac to the list.” Val muttered, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, whose fault was that, huh?” She asked, her tone getting more hostile as she looked at him. “Do you really want to do this now?”

“I don’t think anyone wants to do anything.” Jet Star said. He put a hand on Revolution’s shoulder. “I don’t know the history between you two, I can only assume it’s bad. However, right now there’s something bigger than you two going on, and you need to focus on that.” He then turned to me. “You too. You need to let go of your pride, let yourself be helped. Maybe you’re used to traveling alone, but for the sake of everyone involved, please let us accompany you.”

Revolution and Val both seemed to deflate under Jet Star’s words. I took a moment to digest his words, looking for every possible excuse, but in the end, couldn’t help but agree. Begrudgingly, I sighed and nodded. 

“Fine, okay. But you’ll do as I say, won’t have you dampening my style.” I said, crossing my arms. They just smiled. Revolution nodded. 

“You’re the boss, but uh… Let me drive. You try to get some rest.” She said, sitting in the driver’s seat before I could even think to argue. I sat in the back with Jet Star, Val took the passenger seat again. “Buckle up, sweethearts. This is going to be the fastest ride to Zone 6.” 

Jet Star and I exchanged a worried glance. 

_Uh oh…_


	7. What a Crash Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will come first? Zone 6 or our untimely demise? Only the Phoenix Witch knows.
> 
> Val Velocity. Enough said.
> 
> Jet Star is back in the game.

Spoiler alert, Toxic Revolution was a crash queen. 

Up until the moment she set foot on the pedal, I actually respected her. She was kind, she was pretty down to earth, perhaps a bit stubborn, very no nonsense, and something about her made me trust her. Something about her made me trust her gang, it gave me a sense of security.

All of that changed when she set her foot on the gas pedal.

Toxic Revolution drove like there was not enough time to make it to her destination. She drove like the devil himself was at her heels, coming closer and closer. She drove like she had nothing to lose, like there was no tomorrow.

It reminded me of Party Poison’s driving. Except Revolution’s was much faster, much more desperate and dangerous. 

Party Poison used to drive like they were excited to get to their destination. Toxic Revolution drives like she somehow wants the car to go airborne.

She wasn’t a bad driver, she took perfectly timed turns, and for the speed she was hitting, she kept the car steady. But she was speeding way more than necessary and taking way too many unnecessary risks. Taking the longer, more dangerous route, instead of the shorter and safer one.

I was convinced that we wouldn’t make it to Zone 6 alive. Val had a death grip on the ceiling handle and his face was turning white. Jet Star seemed _mostly_ unfazed, though he was lightly clutching the door handle. Yet as concerned as I was that we were never going to make it to our destination, I couldn’t help but enjoy the ride.

It reminded me of a time long since passed, good days blurred and forgotten. I leaned back on my seat and tilted my head upwards. I felt the rush in my veins, the sheer adrenaline. I felt invincible, untouchable. Immortal. 

“We have all day to get there, y’know…” Val said, his voice sounded small. I was fairly sure that he was about to be sick. Revolution glanced at him for a moment, which had him sputtering a string of incoherent words before pointing at the windshield. “Eyes on the road, dammit!” This got a laugh out of the three of us. Revolution focused on driving again.

I glanced at Jet Star and was overjoyed to find that he had let go of the door handle. He even seemed to be enjoying himself, finally embracing the rush of adrenaline. It almost felt… Normal. Going so fast, I felt like my worries were unable to keep up. The pain, the guilt… For a moment, it faded into bliss. 

I leaned on Jet Star’s shoulder, hoping to catch at least a few minutes of shut eye before arriving at Zone 6 or meeting my untimely demise, whichever came first. Jet Star threw his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. 

I felt at home.

In his gentle embrace, I felt peace. 

It wasn’t long before I drifted off to a dreamless sleep….

Only to be later awakened by arguing. 

“Well what if you run over someone! You don’t want to drive at this speed _in the dark_.” Val argued. 

“Can you two please quiet down?” Jet Star asked.

“I’m not going to run over _anyone_ , who would be stupid enough to walk in the middle of the road at night? Killjoys know better than that!” Revolution replied to Val, not at all paying attention to Jet Star. I sat up straight and glanced outside. The sun was already setting, possibly the root of the argument. 

“We should stop and rest.” I finally suggested, which earned an appreciative glance from Val.

“The sooner we get there, the better, no?” Revolution said as a response.

I couldn’t argue her logic. We remained in silence for a while, before suddenly an idea struck. 

“Wait! We need to make a stop anyway!” I announced, grabbing my backpack and rummaging through its contents. 

“Why?” She asked, her tone suspicious.

“I just remembered something.” I said excitedly, the idea sending a rush through my veins.

“Alright. Where are we stopping?”

We spent the rest of the ride in silence. Finally, Revolution parked the car at our destination.

“Okay, we might as well get some rest anyway. Val and I will check the perimeter, you two can search inside.” She said, grabbing her ray gun. I crossed my arms and frowned at her. “I know you’re in charge, but I’d rather check the perimeter, you’re the one who’s looking for something anyway. You can take care of the big decisions, okay?” With that, she beckoned Val to follow and disappeared around the building. Val looked like the last thing he wanted to do was to be alone with her, but he just trudged along miserably. I glanced at Jet Star and shrugged. Together, we walked up to the door. I unlocked it with a key I had retrieved from my backpack, and we entered the abandoned building.

The familiarity of it was unnerving. I remembered it like I had stepped in it yesterday. Everything was undisturbed, scavengers had likely not stumbled upon this place yet. A thick coat of dust settled over everything. It felt eerie, like it was holding its breath, still waiting for its occupant to return.

“This place…” Jet Star mumbled, looking around.

I did not search the rooms for any people that might be hiding within. Had there been anyone around, they would have disturbed the coat of dust on the floor. There were no footprints except the ones Jet Star and I left in out wake. I walked through the building quickly, not giving myself time to search the rooms, not when I felt the bubbling anguish in my chest. Finally, I arrived at the room I was looking for. In front of me, a big dirty white cloth covered items beneath. Jet Star fell into place beside me and looked at the cloth.

“What is it?” He asked, reaching for the cloth.

I grabbed the other side and together, we pulled it off. Beneath it, just as I remembered it, four mannequins… Each one with the gear belonging to the fabulous four. Jet Star and I remained fixated to our spots, staring at the mannequins. Dust flew in every direction, finding new places to settle, but we were unfazed by it. We were solely focused on the gear… The gear that seemed to be waiting for its owners to claim it. Finally, I broke the silence.

“I still don’t know how he found them… But…” I stopped talking in fear that my voice would break, that I would display any sort of weakness. Another death in my hands, another killjoy who died to save me, to protect me. I missed him so much.

“Cherri Cola.” Jet Star said. I looked at him, surprised that he had remembered. For a moment, my thoughts were diverted. “Last time I saw him was… Well, right before we were captured.”

“Did you guys actually die that day? Did BLI really bring you back or were you just stunned? What happened that day?” I asked, letting go of the cloth I didn’t even remember I was still holding, letting it drop to the floor. Jet Star got a sort of troubled look in his eyes before shaking his head. 

“I don’t remember.” He replied. I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. To let him know that it was okay, that it would come back to him. He smiled sadly and looked at the outfits. “But I do remember which of these is my own.” 

He went to his own gear, taking it from the mannequin, studying each piece as if he wanted to memorize every detail. Finally, when he had stripped the mannequin bare, he walked to the nearest table and brushed off the dust, setting his gear on top of it. He then went back to Kobra Kid’s and did the same. I walked over to Party Poison’s mannequin and began to strip it bare from Party Poison’s gear. Jet Star and I worked in silence, and within minutes, we had four piles of clothing and accessories on the table, waiting to be taken to the car. 

Everything seemed to be falling into place.

The door burst open and Revolution stormed in, looking extremely angry. Behind her, Val also entered, looking disgruntled himself. I decided it was best not to ask what had happened, they seemed to have a rocky history and the less I knew, the better.

Val stopped short when he saw the clothing on the table. 

“Is that… Wait so this is… Cherri Cola’s…” He looked at me for an answer. I just stared out the window and nodded. The last rays of sunlight were already fading. Soon we would be left in darkness. 

“We should get some rest, leave early tomorrow.” I said, hoping to rid my mind of the thoughts that swirled within. That threatened to drag me, to drown me, to toss me into the abyss and leave me for dead. The three just nodded and muttered in agreement, each finding their own place to settle in for the night. 

I put my backpack on the table and glanced towards the window. Before attempting to sleep, I wanted to walk outside, have some fresh air, clear my head. I unslung my katana from my shoulder and set it on the table. My ray gun was next. If no one had disturbed this place so far, they weren’t about to do so now. I didn’t need my weapons. Not at this moment.

I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. A shiver ran down my spine, and it wasn’t just from the cold. I hugged my jacket closer to myself and walked to the back, spotting a chair facing off into the horizon. 

Glancing back at the building one last time, I sighed and sank into the chair. 

It was quiet outside. For a moment, I feared that alone in this silence, my thoughts would drown me. Yet, as much as I wanted to avoid them, I couldn’t. I tilted my head upwards to the sky, I let the moonlight bathe me. 

I gave myself a moment to feel all the emotions I was constantly hiding, constantly keeping at bay. The pain, the anger, the sheer frustration and guilt of having those I loved depart. I delved in memories, in guilt and loss. I delved in fear.

Fear of the past, fear of the present… 

Fear of the future.

I stared into the void, seeking answers. I begged, I cried, I screamed into the void… But it did not reply. It remained silent, dormant. In the darkness, I saw my failures. 

Were their deaths really in my hands? 

Who else was there to blame? 

I began to descend.

Had I been more responsible, had I acted sooner, I could have prevented many deaths. I could have spared so many people of so much pain. In my own selfishness, I turned my back on everything I knew, everything I was supposed to stand for. I turned my back on that which the killjoys died for. Dark fog creeped around the edges of my mind.

I had been selfish, ignorant. I had dishonored their memory. 

The sound of footsteps interrupted my thoughts, it interrupted my descent. I looked towards the source calmly. 

In the darkness I saw a silhouette, the pale moonlight gave his white hair a soft glow. I leaned back on my chair and gazed into the horizon, to the endless desert. Val came to a stop a few feet beside the chair and sat on the ground. We remained in silence for a while, too little to say to each other. Finally, he broke the silence.

“I know you don’t trust me, and I understand. Hell, I deserve it. Your mistrust, your hatred. But if you ever need to talk about… About what you’re going through, I will listen. And before you wave me away, before you just ignore this… I understand it. Doing things you regret, having to deal with the consequences of your selfish actions. Knowing that you could have done things differently, and yet not being able to change anything now in the present. I see the haunted look in your eyes. It’s the same haunted look I catch whenever I glance at any mirror, at any reflective surface. We all have our demons, kid. You don’t have to deal with yours alone.” Once finished, he leaned back and laid down on the ground, placing his hands behind his head, and gazing at the stars. 

I didn’t reply. I gave myself a moment to digest the meaning of his words. It was so easy to tell him off. It was so easy to just get up and storm back into the building. It was so easy to lash out, to be angry, to let everything fade into a haze of fury. 

But it was not right.

“Thank you.” I muttered quietly, just loud enough for him to hear it. He just smiled and closed his eyes. 

I wasn’t alone. My heart wasn’t the only one in anguish. If it ever became too much for me to handle… At least Val somewhat understood….

…

“Out of _all_ the places, I did not expect to find you two sleeping _outside_ and _on the sand_.” I opened one eye to see Toxic Revolution standing in front of me, her arms crossed. The sun was already high in the sky, thankfully I was sleeping in the shade provided by the building. I glanced to the side and saw Val, also waking up, looking up at Revolution in confusion. 

“What?” He asked, his speech slurred but the word obvious. Revolution watched him, unamused, as he shook the sand from his hair. 

“We didn’t find you inside, we were worried.” She replied.

“Well we’re alive, now let us sleep.” I muttered, pulling my jacket over my face. 

“Not a chance! Get up, we need to move.” She insisted, tugging my jacket away from my face. I remained sitting, stubbornly tugging the jacket back, until finally I gave up. 

“Okay, fine! We’re going.” I said, which earned a grin from her. She promptly went inside. Val gave me one glance before he also went inside. I got up and glanced at the chair one last time before following. 

The table where the outfits had been the previous days was now empty, it only had my katana and ray gun. I guessed that Toxic Revolution and Jet Star had taken their time to take the items to the car. Shrugging at the thought, I grabbed my backpack and rummaged through its contents, coming up with some packed food. I was about to dig in when Jet Star stepped into the room.

“Oooh, you look _awesome_!!” Toxic Revolution exclaimed, hitting him lightly on the shoulder. I looked up and almost gasped when I saw him.

It was him. Jet Star in his full glory. 

He had discarded his jumpsuit, only to dress in his favored gear. He looked just as I remembered him, if only a few years older. Not enough to match the time we had been apart, however. He wore his favored fingerless gloves, his black American flag jacket and, of course, his sunglasses. Tucked under his arm was his lightning bolt helmet. He reached up with his free hand and took off his shades, looking towards me for my reaction. The only thing that was missing was his blue ray gun. It had been replaced by the scavenger’s ray gun I gave him.

“I agree with Revolution, you look awesome. This… This is the Jet Star I know.” I said, smiling at the sight. He just smiled in return and put the helmet down on the table. 

“Well, after eating we should leave to find Korse. I doubt we’ll make it back tonight, but we can try.” Jet Star said.

“Oh, we’ll make it.” Revolution said confidently. Val looked at his as if he genuinely feared for his life, and honestly… I could understand him. 

“Actually.” I began. “I’d like to drive now. I got a good night’s sleep, so I am completely capable of getting us to Zone 6 in one piece.”


	8. Losing My Grip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A girl's gotta control her anger.
> 
> Clones? Scientists? Traitors?
> 
> Korse, former S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W, has joined the team.

We made it to Zone 6 in one piece.

Though we spent most of the ride in silence, there was a moment of conversation when Jet Star recalled various memories and recounted his dreams. From what I could tell, he was remembering much faster than mom had, but he was still missing a lot of memories. He complained that he remembered faces and events, but it was as if there was a haze over everything. He couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality. 

After he recounted what he remembered, and I confirmed what I knew was true, he fell quiet again. Even though no one asked anything, we were all thinking the same thing. 

He had spoken about events before BLI took him in… But whatever happened in the years he was held captive… He didn’t even mention it. Whatever it was, he wasn’t ready to speak about. We respected that.

After a while, Val tapped me on the shoulder.

“This is it. That’s where my sources said he is.” Val stated, pointing towards a convenience store. It seemed empty, devoid of pretty much anything. The display windows were shattered, the door was nearly torn off its hinges. 

“Looks homey.” I said, parking the car. “Cover up.” I warned, putting on my sunglasses and covering up the bottom of my face with a red handkerchief. Jet Star used his favored helmet, while Revolution covered up with a scarf, and Val just put on his mask, he didn’t cover his face. We made sure to cover up as much as possible, leaving next to no skin in display. In Zones 1 and 2 one had to be careful but being careless occasionally was not lethal. In Zone 6 there was no room for error. The radiation would damage us if we stayed in the same place too long, especially if we weren’t covered. 

After we were all ready, we excited the car and gathered in a little group by the broken door. We made sure our weapons were in place, accessible and ready to use. 

“Okay, I know we each hold a lot of resentment towards Korse for various reasons, but we came here to talk. No ghosting without previous provocation, _please_.” Val said, glancing inside. “Alright. Anything to add?”

“Be careful. We don’t know what’s inside, and even though he helped with BLI’s downfall, we truly don’t know what’s going on. He could be dangerous, even more so than-” I faltered. Revolution, who was standing directly in front of me, was slowly reaching for her ray gun while staring intently over my shoulder. Since I was standing with my back to the door, I could only assume that there was someone inside. 

I turned around, reaching for my ray gun and pointing it at the door. Inside, just as predicted, there was a person. It was Korse.

Now I would love to say that I lowered my ray gun, explained the situation, he invited us in, and we all had a lovely conversation. I would love to say that we talked like civilized humans. I would love to say that I remained calm. 

But that would be lying.

The mere _second_ that my brain registered the fact that the man standing before me was Korse, my senses went haywire. A white-hot rage swept over me; my actions weren’t even my own. One second, I was standing outside with the ray gun, ready to defend my companions. Everything went white, I could only feel raw wrath gnaw away at my conscious. And the next second I was unarmed standing right in front of the figure, aware of my actions but unable to control them.

I blinked, another flash of white. 

My fist collided with a hard surface. “That’s for Party Poison!” I heard a voice say. Another flash of white. Thundering heartbeat, loud voices, a struggle. Pain, regret, agony. Was it all in my head? How could I escape? How could I reclaim my senses?

“Hey, hey. _Listen to me_.” A voice. Muddled, almost unrecognizable, so far away… “Zone 6, we-… To talk…. Korse… Come on, kid.” The words became easier to understand, I could hear other voices now. Senses returning, I blinked. 

There was a haze. Another beat. And then, suddenly, everything fell into place. 

I took in my surroundings quickly, trying to get a quick grasp on reality. Revolution was talking to Korse, it seemed she had provided him a handkerchief. A handkerchief that he was holding up to his lip, which was bleeding. Jet Star sort of lingered between Revolution and me, as if waiting for a command, or a signal of need. Which brought me to Val. His hands were on my upper arms, gripping tightly, but not harshly. He studied me for a moment, waiting for me to speak.

“Please tell me I didn’t punch him.” I said with a sigh.

“You punched him.” Val said bluntly, letting go of my arms. I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. That’s when I came to the realization that I no longer had my handkerchief. I turned back towards the door and spotted the red piece of cloth lying on the floor, the ray gun not far behind. “Hey, you okay?” He asked when I went to retrieve my items.

“Yeah, yeah.” I muttered. After picking up my things, I went back towards the group. They all turned towards me, probably waiting for me to say something, anything. “I’m sorry I punched you.” I said, staring at Korse dead in the eye. I was aware that nothing about my body language signaled that I was being honest in the slightest, but I meant it. _I lost control, I hadn’t meant to get physical, I was just-_

“It’s okay.” Korse said, interrupting my thoughts… I realized I had been speaking out loud. “I deserved it. If I’m completely honest, I expected to get shot.” He lowered the handkerchief. His lip was still bleeding, his face already bruising. Oh damn.

“Well, we didn’t come for revenge. We actually just need information.” Revolution said, shooting me a significant glance.

“Yes, information. Anything about this seem a little ‘off’ to you?” I asked, gesturing towards Jet Star. Korse shifted his gaze towards the killjoy and remained quiet for the count of ten seconds. He even began to shake his head, but then he stopped.

“Okay, yeah. Maybe a bit strange. When we killed them, the director gave us _specific_ instructions to transport their bodies to the science laboratories. I personally assumed she was just trying to find the science behind the myth, but-” He explained, but Revolution raised one hand.

“The myth?” She asked.

“Yeah.” He replied, glancing at her. “You know, the old saying. ‘Killjoys never die’ or whatever. Well I guessed she wanted to-”

“I thought it was just that. A saying.” Val said, looking puzzled. Korse sighed impatiently.

“No. Look-” He tried again.

“Did you find out the reasoning behind this so-called myth?” I asked.

“Not really.”

“Then tell us what you do know. Start at the beginning.” I suggested calmly.

“I will if you stop interrupting.” He said and paused to see if anyone would say anything. Upon seeing that we were finally quiet, he continued. “The saying ‘killjoys never die’ holds weight, it has a meaning. Killjoys do die but compared to the lifespan of an average Battery City citizen, they live much longer. Well The Director wanted to know why, she wanted to know what made them different. Having citizens inside Battery City, with medicines, shielded from the radiation, it should have made them stronger. Not weaker. So, I assumed she wanted to test their blood, or whatever material they could provide. I did not expect her to… To revive them.”

“What if she cloned them?” Revolution asked, probably just voicing an intrusive thought. There was a moment of silence, we all slowly turned towards Jet Star. 

“It could explain your lack of eye patch. I vividly remember you wearing one when I last saw you.” I said narrowing my eyes. Clones. Just perfect. “Lift your shirt.”

“What?” Jet Star asked, suddenly seeming defensive.

“Lift your shirt. If BLI actually brought you back, you’ll have the scars.” I explained. He stared at me for a beat before sighing and lifting the hem of his shirt. The scar was there alright. Darkened mangled flesh in the center of his torso, clearly healed, but still a jarring sight. “Does that look clone-y to any of you?”

They all shook their heads, Jet Star lowered his shirt. “I thought the people from Battery City died faster because of the meds.” He said, earning confused glances from us. “What? BLI got its power from submissive citizens. What better way to control them than to suppress their emotions? The medicines were mainly used to rid the patient of any negative emotions such as anger, sadness, tiredness, but they also worked to rid the patient of positive emotions too. They blocked neural pathways so that the brain could not process this information. Yet, by using them for a prolonged period of time, the citizens’ nervous system began to deteriorate.”

“How do you know this?” Korse asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. 

“I don’t… I don’t know…” Jet Star replied, a dazed look crossing his face.

“So since killjoys aren’t given these meds, their brains are stronger.” I concluded, glancing at Jet Star for confirmation.

“Exactly. The citizens tended to go insane at a relatively young age. BLI made sure to take care of them before they caused much trouble.” Jet Star finished, which caused Revolution and Val to exchange a glance. They seemed to have a silent conversation before Revolution sighed.

“That sounds like Battery City Scientist talk.” She said, crossing her arms.

“Look, I get it. You don’t trust me, but I’m saying what I know. Either way it’s irrelevant, doesn’t explain _why_ we were brought back. I just wish I could remember more…” Jet Star said, frustration seeping into his tone. 

“Wait, you don’t remember anything?” Korse asked.

“Well I’m remembering, but not fast enough.” Jet Star replied. 

“You weren’t put through draculoidization then… Maybe they tried to turn you into a Scarecrow… Going by your logic… Maybe they weren’t able to break you because your will is stronger than that of a normal citizen…” Korse said, rubbing his temples. “It’s all speculation of course.”

“The process, to turn them into Scarecrows… Can it be reversed?” I asked, thinking that maybe this would be the perfect way to help them all remember. 

“You’d have to repair the machine… But it’s possible.” Korse replied, but his tone sounded doubtful. There was a moment of silence as we contemplated our options. Finally, I just nodded.

“Okay, come with us. We still have more questions and we’ll need you to fix the machine. If you want redemption, this is where you begin.” I said, crossing my arms. Korse looked at me for a moment, contemplating his options. 

“Alright. But you’ll have to explain how you found him.” Korse replied, pointing at Jet Star.

“Perfect. Let’s go.”


	9. Hard Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revolution makes some points. 
> 
> Kobra Kid and Jet Star bond over helmets?
> 
> Fun Ghoul and Party Poison...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the short and unedited chapter. I felt guilty for not updating in a long time and wanted to do so today, but it has been a very long day and I'm literally drifting to sleep. So I cut the chapter here, will try to update soon. Thanks for reading and feel welcome to leave comments, I love reading them!!

After agreeing to help each other out, we decided to head back to Zone 1. Revolution and Jet Star had remained in my car, but Val had agreed to fill Korse in with all the information, so they were both in Korse’s car. It was just as well too; the car was much less crowded and it felt nice to not have either of them near me for the time being. I still had a lot of pent up resentment for both, and even though I am aware that they have most likely changed since then, it is not easy to let go of the anger within. 

That said, I shouldn’t have punched Korse. I don’t regret it, and I don’t feel bad about it, but perhaps that wasn’t the best approach. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to want to hold it against me. Even with his lip bleeding, he had just told me not to worry about it.

We rode in silence for a few seconds before Revolution sighed rather exaggeratedly. “I’m gonna say it.” She announced. Jet Star straightened up in the passenger seat, and I glanced through the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow at her. What was she gonna say? “Aren’t you at least the slightest bit uncomfortable with those two alone in the other car?”

“No, not at all. Why, what’s the problem?” I asked, lowering my gaze and focusing on the road.

“Um, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that they could currently be conspiring against us, plotting an attack for when we lead them to our temporary headquarters.” Revolution replied. While what she said sort of made sense, I still wished to disagree. I even opened my mouth to say something, but she spoke on. “Look, don’t tell me this isn’t even a little suspicious. You find Val in Battery City, then realize that there might be something else going on with BLI or whatever, and then he leads you to someone who used to work for them and now they’re alone. Conversing. About, who knows what? Is it really the brightest idea to take them back?”

“You’re just being paranoid, Revolution. Val was the one who told me about BLI and how they might still be up to something, and Korse was our only lead.” I replied, shaking my head.

“Oh, really? The four killjoys you found in the facility aren’t a lead? And tell me, how did you find them anyway?” She asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Party Poison found us and led us to the others, so Val and I released them and took them with us.” I explained, somewhat annoyed since she already knew this.

“Oh. And how did Party Poison even escape in the first place?” She asked.

“I dunno, the tube was broken, maybe they managed to break it from inside.” I assumed, glancing at Jet Star who shrugged at the assumption.

“And how did they wake up? Didn’t you have to wake the others?” She asked, now leaning forward. I didn’t reply. “See? There is something so awfully wrong with all of this, and you can’t see it. Do you know why?”

“Oh, please enlighten me.” I said sarcastically. Did she really think she knew me enough to be jumping to conclusions? This ought to be good.

“You’re desensitized. You’re walking through your life in search for a new mission, and you can’t deny it. When your mother was injured, you might have felt pain or fear, but you quickly turned it into a mission. You shoved all those emotions aside and got to work. And then you found your friends, the killjoys, and what was the first thing you did? You left them behind so that you could pursue Korse, so that you could embark on another mission. Your fear and pain, you turn it into anger. That’s why you’re angry at Val, that’s why you’re angry at Korse. You barely look at the killjoys. You’re so desperately trying to live like this is normal and you’re neglecting the obvious signs that there is something wrong, the huge red flags.” She said, her tone angry, but also… Perhaps a bit worried? Concerned? “Something is wrong. Maybe if you didn’t dampen your emotions, all your senses… Maybe you’d be able to tell.”

Her words felt like a slap to the face. It wasn’t true! I wasn’t the least bit desensitized. I was worried about my mother, I was happy the killjoys were back, I felt pain and regret, and I felt very human. I didn’t turn anything into anger. She was lying. 

“That’s not true.” I said, hoping my voice didn’t sound as feeble as I heard it.

“You don’t believe that.” She said, not even bothering to continue arguing. I clenched the steering wheel tightly, feeling lectured, reprimanded. Scolded. 

I spent the rest of the ride in silence.

Since it was not Revolution driving, the ride was longer. However, since we did not stop to rest, we arrived at Zone 1 in the evening. 

I shot Revolution a look before getting out of the car and walking into the gas station. Inside, Revolution’s gang was sitting in a circle with Kobra Kid and they were conversing. I just walked by them and checked on my mother. 

“Guys, where’s the car?” Revolution asked, walking in. Val and Korse followed close behind. Upon hearing that peculiar question, I poked my head out of the office and saw Cyanide Agent standing up. 

“Those two took it. I don’t even know how they got a hold of the keys, by the time we noticed, they were already driving away!” He replied angrily. I glanced at Kobra Kid and realized that Party Poison and Fun Ghoul were, indeed, missing from the group. 

“Wait, they left alone?” I asked, stepping towards them. 

“Yes. They did take ray guns though, so it’s not like they’re unarmed.” He clarified, crossing his arms. “They still stole our car.”

“They borrowed it. Granted, without permission, but I’m sure they’ll bring it back.” I assured, beckoning Kobra Kid over. He raised an eyebrow at me, but then he stood and walked towards me. “Show me your arm. Your scar, from where they shot you.” I said. He seemed confused at the command, but he still showed me his skin. The scar was there. “Okay, good.”

In that moment, Jet Star walked in holding some of the gear we had retrieved from Cherri Cola’s old station. Kobra Kid stared at him for a moment before the ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. Kobra Kid rarely smiled, so this was a rare sight. 

“You look good, Jet Star. I see you got your clothes back. Tell me my helmet was there too.” Kobra Kid said, walking over to Jet Star. They then began to talk amongst themselves. Jet Star took Kobra Kid outside, presumably so they could get the rest of the things. 

I had just put my weapons down on the counter when we heard the engine of a car. It got louder and louder, until finally it died. Thinking that it was Party Poison and Fun Ghoul, I walked outside, ready to ask to see their scars. But the passenger seat was empty. Party Poison stepped out of the car, blood tainting their clothes. 

“Poison! What happened?” I asked, stepping forward to see their injury. They didn’t let me though, they just waved towards the car, their expression anguished. 

“They came out of nowhere! They attacked us, they took Ghoul!” Party Poison said, their tone expressing great grief. “We have to get him back!” 


	10. Hard Truths Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party Poison and I cause problems on purpose.
> 
> Nope, nevermind. It was just Poison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the second part of the chapter. We're finally getting some action here.

There was a blissful moment of silence as Kobra Kid and Jet Star, who were each carrying things out of the car, stared at Party Poison, making sense of their words. And then the two started to bombard them with questions. 

“Wait, hold on. Stop.” I called out, effectively rendering Kobra Kid and Jet Star silent. “Where was this? Who took him? Why are you bleeding?” I had intended to ask only one question, but the rest came tumbling after. “Actually nevermind, let’s go.” I beckoned Party Poison over to the other car, ready to leave. 

“We’re coming with.” Jet Star said.

I paused, trying to come up with a good excuse as to why they shouldn’t. To be honest, I didn’t want to put them all in danger. I was willing to bring Party Poison along because they were the only one who knew where it had happened. But Jet Star and Kobra Kid? I didn’t want them to come along, not until I had more information about what had happened. If Revolution was right and there was something bigger at stake, something _off_ , I would need to be careful with my actions. If there was a trap involved, it was better if Party Poison and I triggered it, and then Kobra Kid and Jet Star took action accordingly. 

It was better than the alternative, the four of us going to save Ghoul and none of us coming back.

“No, stop that.” Kobra Kid said, wagging his finger in front of my face. I blinked and focused on him. “You’re coming up with excuses. We’re coming with you, you can’t change our minds.” 

“Fine, okay. We’re leaving in a minute, I still need to get my stuff.” I said, crossing my arms, clearly disgruntled. Apparently satisfied that I wouldn’t leave them behind, they went into the gas station. Party Poison fell into step beside me. 

“I think it’s better if we go alone. Less chances of getting caught.” They muttered, eyes on the gas station door.

“You’re absolutely right, lets go.” I dropped the keys in Party Poison’s extended hand and turned to sit in the passenger’s side. Party Poison got in the driver’s seat just as Revolution was stepping out of the station. Upon seeing us buckled up and ready to go, she shouted something into the building. “Okay, Poison. Now’s a good time!”

“Hold on!” They turned the key in ignition. The engine came to life as Kobra Kid and Jet Star ran out, looking equally disappointed. I waved them goodbye as Party Poison hit the gas and we tore down the road. For some reason, the little getaway was actually comforting. Though I did feel a little guilty over leaving them behind. “Don’t worry.” Party Poison said as if reading my mind. “I left the keys in the other car, if they wanted to catch up, they would.”

I leaned back on the seat and sighed. “Okay, can you tell me what happened? Also why are you bleeding? Is it something we should acknowledge any time soon?”

Party Poison took a deep breath. “Well, we were both remembering. Mostly the bad stuff, what happened after we were caught. We were feeling out of it, so we decided to go for a ride. We invited Kobra, but he said no. You know how he is. We stopped at a Cemetery Drive, talked about the jackets and masks strewn about, there were a few that seemed familiar.” Poison fell quiet for a few seconds, silently tapping the steering wheel. “They came from all sides, neither of us saw ‘em coming. Ghoul and I managed to take out the first wave. Then the others arrived.”

“Who were they?” I asked.

“Masked men, I don’t know.” They said. Well that narrows it down to pretty much everyone in the desert. “We ran to the car to leave but… Ghoul didn’t make it.”

“You left him behind?” I asked, noticing that it sounded way harsher than intended. “Whatever, we’ll get him back, don’t worry. Was it far?” 

“Not at all, we’re almost there. We didn’t stray that far, we didn’t wanna get lost.” They replied. After a few moments, Party Poison pulled over. I looked around in confusion. There was nothing around.

I got out of the car and scanned the desert, there was nothing. No jackets or masks, no bodies from the men Party Poison claimed to have taken out. I turned towards them. “Poison, there’s nothing here.”

“I know.” They said. 

With that, they lifted their ray gun, pointing it at me. 

“Sorry kid. Party Poison didn’t make it. They’re dead, just as Fun Ghoul will be. And, of course, you…” They smiled as if whatever they were saying made sense, as if it was funny. I glanced at the car, wondering if I could get to my weapons before the first blast hit me. 

My weapons. My weapons that were still back at the gas station. Crap. 

Before I could come up with a plan other than talking and attempting to stall, I heard an engine approach. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm. They had caught up. Revolution and the rest, they had followed and were going to help. 

“Oh, oh no. Those aren’t your friends.” My smile wavered. I looked at Party Poison’s face, knowing that it was not them. “I didn’t leave the keys behind, that was a lie.” They lifted one hand, the jingling of keys a sign that they spoke the truth. Damn. 

“What did you do to Fun Ghoul?” I asked, clenching my fists.

“You’ll find out.” They replied nonchalantly. A van pulled up close by. Out of it walked out a group of people, all of them wearing masks. Masks that bore the Better Living Industries logo. No. They each held guns, trained at me. No. Party Poison, or whatever this person was, stepped back, triumphant. I tried to step back, to turn, to run, but I found myself frozen in place. No. 

No. No. Out of all the scenarios in my mind, the traps I was sure I would trigger… This was not one. Was this really how it would end?


	11. Killjoys...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm mostly just confused...
> 
> Also a little sad.
> 
> And maybe a little lost.

I glared at the masked people, somehow wishing that they would all spontaneously combust and grant me the opportunity of escape. However, none of them even seemed to acknowledge my anger. I glanced down at the ropes binding my wrists, hoping that at least they would disintegrate. No such luck.

We were piled in the back of the van, guns trained at my head. I don't know where exactly they were taking me, but I didn't really think it mattered. The chances of escape became slimmer by the second. 

"So who are you? Citizens stupid enough to stay behind and serve BLI? Bootlickers?" I asked, trying to chase the deafening silence away from my mind.

The one in the center turned their head, as if glancing to another one. I couldn't see their eyes, so I couldn't be sure. There was a moment of silence before they laughed. In unison. Familiar laughs, all of them. I _knew_ them.

"You really haven't figured it out yet?" One asked, reaching up to the mask. They took it off, revealing Fun Ghoul's face underneath. "I thought your fake Party Poison gave it away." He glanced at Party Poison, who was leaning back against the wall, ray gun trained at me. 

"Revolution was right. You _are_ clones." I said in a horrified whisper. 

" _We_ are, yes. The ones you took home were... They were the real deal. All except for your friend here, the real Party Poison is dead." Fun Ghoul, the clone, said. This earned laughter from the other masked ones. Where they all the killjoys? Was Kobra Kid here too, Jet Star? Clones? Fake? Party Poison... Dead. 

I felt a familiar anger creep up my spine. 

"What did you do to them?" I asked, my voice tight with both anger and despair. They did not reply. "What did you DO!?"

"Nice chat." He said, putting his mask back on. I was about to do something that would surely end in my death, but before I could even act, something pricked my neck and everything went dark.

~~~

"Ah, you're _finally_ awake." A female voice said. I opened my eyes and winced at the sudden brightness. I tried to blink the spots away, only then realizing that I was tied to a chair. Immediately alert, I tested my restrains. "No use, we're not letting you escape."

I focused on the speaker, seeing a much too familiar face. Out of all the people, Revolution and Val had been right. Had they sat down to share their views on the conspiracy, they would have solved the mystery within minutes. The Director hadn't died. She was standing right in front of me.

Or rather... An android...

Maybe a clone this time?

"What did you do to Fun Ghoul?" I asked, still groggy from whatever drug they used on me.

"Oh, we were just conversing..." She said. The chair were incredibly sturdy, metal, the restraints did not budge. "He's fine... For now. It's _you_ we should focus on, however. I wonder if you're anything like them. If your will is as strong as theirs."

"What?" I asked, shaking the daze away.

"The rebels, of course! We hacked at their minds for years, and yet they did not break! It was exhausting, we were using up so many resources. We had to resort to less savory methods such as... Manipulation. Among other things. And then we were given the idea to clone them and..." She smiled. "Well we just didn't need them awake anymore. So we put them to sleep."

"What happened to Party Poison?" I was still fighting for full control of my thoughts, but my mind felt much clearer now. 

"They attempted to escape. We had to terminate them. And of course, the clone we sent to earn your trust and infiltrate your current gang was faulty. It ended up leading you to the other rebels, which was completely unplanned. We had to terminate it too." She replied. I was finally getting some answers.

"What are you doing to Fun Ghoul?" I asked. 

"We wanted to send him back out to the forest, so he could do us a little favor, but his will is still as strong as ever... We would send a clone, but the girl from Cyanide Agent's gang figured out the one thing we overlooked." She said, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say she was frustrated.

"The scars." I concluded.

"Just one fault." The Director agreed. "But, we still have one hope. And it's you. We clear your mind of all those pesky memories, troublesome emotions and we send you back into the desert. You will help us achieve much more than what we could hope for in Battery City."

"You won't break me." I said, trying to muster the courage I currently lacked.

"Oh darling, you're already broken. You think we don't know? Your sleepless nights, your constant fights? We've been keeping an eye on you, always. Do you really think your mother just so happened to run into you, a coincidence? You're just a broken little girl, running from the ghosts of her past. You've been running for years, and when you finally found a reason to stop running, you overlooked it. You ignored it because running is all you know. You're weak. You're weighted down by guilt, by pain and misery. You feel like it defines you, like without it you are nothing. You're incapable of letting go. You have so many demons... Unleash one, you unleash them all. You ran and ran and ran, but those ghosts? They've caught up. And there's nothing you can do to escape from them. You can only succumb, lose yourself. Forget about this meaning you give yourself." She smiled, her gaze harsh and unforgiving. "Give in."

"You can't break me." I said, trying to keep everything at bay. Struggling to remain calm.

"You're right, we can't. Because you already broke yourself." With that, she turned on her heel and left the room. 

"Come on, keep it together." I muttered, looking around the room, trying to formulate a plan. But as I tried to, my vision blurred. My whole body began to tremble, I felt an immense ache in my chest. I remained like that for what felt like an eternity. I lowered my head in defeat, accepting that what she said was true. The sheer anger, the determination, it all ebbed away. It just left pain in its wake. Agony, misery... 

The first sob was so awfully hard to get out. It was a huge knot in my throat, I felt like I couldn't breathe. But when it finally came out, the rest just tumbled right after, until I was left sobbing my heart out, alone in that room.

I let myself feel the pain. I stopped running from it, I stopped pushing it away and replacing it with other emotions. I gave myself a moment to acknowledge it, to feel it.

To embrace it.

I don't know for how long I cried. But I was just attempting to wipe my tears on my shoulder when a sound came from the floor. Confused, I looked down. Vision still blurry from my tears, I tried to make sense of what was happening. 

The vent grate on the floor was pushed aside. I watched in silence as someone crawled out of the vent. Someone with very familiar, colorful hair.

Aware that Party Poison was dead, I opened my mouth to argue, to tell them off, but before I had the chance, they rushed towards me and clamped their hand over my mouth. 

"It's a lot to explain, but if you do anything that gets any sort of attention from outside, it's over for both of us." They said, their voice a whisper. "Don't say anything. Promise you won't say anything."

I had no intention of keeping that promise, but I nodded nonetheless. They slowly removed their hand from my mouth. Then, they grabbed a knife from the waistline of their pants and began to hack away at my bonds. Once they were done, I wiped my face and stared at them, not believing that they were the actual Party Poison, but also wanting to hope...

"Show me. Show me the scar then." I whispered, tapping the bottom of my chin.

They lifted their head. Underneath.... The scar was there. I grabbed their chin in my hand and aggressively rubbed at the scar, checking if it was real. It was. 

"We need to go, I'll explain everything when we're in a safer room. Follow me." They turned away from me and crawled inside the vent, leading the way to what I assumed was relative safety. I followed, making sure to put the grate back in place. We crawled in silence for a few minutes, occasionally pausing and waiting for someone to move to another room, sometimes panicking for making an unwanted noise. It was cramped, it was smelly and uncomfortable, an experience I would not recommend. However, once we finally reached the room Party Poison was leading me to, I felt much calmer. 

After we both crawled out of the vent, I turned to them. There was a moment of silence as we both regarded each other.

"You've grown." They said, smiling.

"It's really you." I whispered, stepping towards them. I don't know who moved first, but then we were both embracing each other, sharing a much needed hug. We remained in each other's arms for a few moments, enjoying the warmth of the embrace. "They told me you were dead!" I said in a haunted voice, attempting not to break down again, but finding it impossible.

"And you believed them. I've been hiding from them. They don't want to admit I've escaped, so everyone is lying. But I'm still very much alive. I heard you found the others." They pulled back from the hug and held me at arms-length. 

"I did, but Fun Ghoul is here, they took him." I said, wiping my face once again. Tears just didn't seem to stop flowing. "Poison, I've missed you all so much, I thought I'd never see any of you again." 

"Well we're still alive and kicking." They looked at me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know it's been hard."

"I've been so lost, Poison. And I'm still lost, and I don't know the way, I can't see the exit, it all feels so hopeless." I sobbed, surprised that everything I had been hiding for so long was finally spilling forward.

"Come here." They hugged me again, silently running a hand through me hair in a soothing manner. "It's okay to be lost sometimes. It's okay to feel guilty, to feel angry, to feel sad... It's okay to feel. That's what makes us, us. Remember kid, what makes us different from the Batt Rats is that we're not afraid to feel. Our emotions make us special. It's okay to be afraid. It's okay to be lost. I'm right here, I stand by your side. Maybe I can't lead you to the light, but I can accompany you on every step. I'm here for you, we will talk this through. All of it, you will never once again feel alone here. We're your family, and we won't let you go through this alone." They sighed. "But first, we need to get out of here. Let's find Ghoul, let's wreak havoc..." They pulled away and looked at me. 

I smiled and nodded. "Let's make some noise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was supposed to edit this, but it got late and my brain said no, but I wanted to update so here you go, trainwreck of a chapter (but also one of my favorites). Hope you enjoy!! <3


	12. Ah, Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the clones are actually pretty tough.
> 
> Party Poison, Fun Ghoul... Fun times.
> 
> Another memory surfaces.

Finding Fun Ghoul was much easier than we thought it would be. Party Poison and I had been sneaking through one of the numerous hallways, wondering how in the hell we were supposed to find our missing killjoy when we heard the screaming. Remarkably familiar screaming that belonged to none other than he who we were looking for. Without much planning or thought, Party Poison and I ran towards the source, coming to a stop behind a closed door. Poison looked through the small glass panel while I kept an eye on the other doors. 

“Shit, okay… We need to do something. Quick. Uh….” Party Poison glanced around the hall, no doubt trying to formulate a plan. We both flinched as Ghoul screamed again, a sound of pure agony.

“Okay! I have a plan!” I said, which got Party Poison’s full attention. 

I placed my hand on the door handle and pulled it open. Inside, Fun Ghoul was strapped to a metal chair, barely conscious, there were cables attached to various places of his body. Beside the chair there was a monitor, in front of the monitor, two of the masked people. They both turned their heads towards me. 

“What’s the plan?” Poison whispered, hidden from their view.

The clones glanced at each other and reached for their ray guns.

Okay, to be honest, I really hadn’t thought it through. I just wanted their attention away from Fun Ghoul. And if there was something that I had learned from the Fabulous Four, it was that thinking was overrated.

“What are you doing here?” One of the clones asked. 

I smiled. “Well, I was looking for the bathroom, but I must have taken a wrong turn. You may proceed.” I took a step back and closed the door. 

“That was your plan?” Poison asked.

“Well at least they’re not torturing Fun Ghoul anymore, are they?” I glanced around. “Look, there’s two of them, two of us. I think it’s a fair fight.”

“They have guns.” Poison noted.

“I think it’s a fair fight.” I repeated. In that moment, the door burst open, revealing the two clones with their ray guns. Since Poison and I were so close, they had no time to properly aim at us before we launched ourselves at them. Party Poison moved first, grabbing the first one’s wrist and slamming it against the wall. After the first clone dropped the ray gun, Party Poison brought their knee up and hit the clone in the crotch. They kept fighting, though it was obvious Party Poison had the upper hand.

Meanwhile, I tackled the other clone. I felt like it was the safest course of action. It was obviously bigger and stronger than me, so I used momentum to bring us both down. It seemed more dazed than hurt, but I didn’t give it much time to recover. I straddled the clone and began to punch away, aiming mostly for the head.

I didn’t get much too violent, however. At that moment, I heart a shot. I flinched and glanced at Party Poison, who was standing over the first clone, ray gun in hand. They then walked over towards me and shot the other clone. 

“Oh yeah, that’s definitely gonna get unwanted attention.” I said, grabbing the second ray gun and walking inside the room. Fun Ghoul glanced at us, looking extremely dazed. Party Poison followed close behind. Though as soon as they saw Ghoul, they sprinted across the room to meet him. 

“No, no. You’re one of them, Poison’s dead. I saw them kill Poison. I-” Fun Ghoul said, speech slurred.

“Ghoul, it’s me. I escaped, look.” Poison lifted their head, revealing the scar.

“What’s that supposed to prove?” Fun Ghoul asked, his tone haunted.

I walked over to them. “They’re clones, Ghoul. They’re the ‘perfect’ version of you. No scars, no faults. Basically machines. This is the proof that they’re the original.”

“We’re already the best version of us.” Party Poison muttered, obviously disgruntled.

Fun Ghoul eyed me warily. “What are you doing here then?”

“Well, the _other_ Party Poison led me to a trap. But this one, the _real_ Poison, got me out. We need to get out of here, they’ll be here any time now.” I nodded towards Poison, who began to rid Ghoul of all the cables attached to his body. Upon closer inspection, we could see they were using electric shocks on him. 

I walked over to the monitor and searched for controls so I could release Fun Ghoul. It wasn’t hard. There was literally a big red circle that read ‘Release Switch’. After Fun Ghoul was free and attempting to walk, I searched the computer in hopes of finding some sort of map. 

Finally, I pulled up something that looked like a map, but I honestly couldn’t make sense of it. I didn’t even know where we were. Fun Ghoul was having trouble walking on his own, so Party Poison was supporting him. They both walked over to me and the monitor. I just waved vaguely at it.

“Ah, map. That’s smart.” Party Poison said, smiling. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. “Okay, so if I’m not mistaken, we’re here.” They pointed at a room, to my relief, it was pretty close to an exit. Actually, not just an exit…

“Woah, does that say garage? Are we stealing a car?” Fun Ghoul asked excitedly. The three of us looked at each other, obviously having fun thoughts. However, we were interrupted by an alarmed yell coming from outside.

“I’ll take care of that. Poison, you’re leading the way!” I grabbed my stolen ray gun and walked over to the door. Outside there were two more clones crouched over the ones we had killed. I opened the door and shot before they could react. Two perfectly placed shots. They both fell back, unmoving. “Okay, we’re clear.” I held the door open for Poison and Ghoul. They looked at the bodies. 

“Well you’ve been busy.” Fun Ghoul noted. “Let me guess. Cherri taught you how to shoot.” 

I smiled. “Who else? Had to learn from the best.” For the first time in a long time, I was able to think about Cherri Cola without the darkness creeping into my mind. A happy memory.

Party Poison led us down the hall, they were still supporting Fun Ghoul, had an arm wrapped around his waist. I crouched by the two clones I had downed and grabbed one of their ray guns before sprinting down the hall towards Poison. We were just about to take a turn when we heard grunting behind us. The three of us paused and glanced back.

The four clones, the two Poison had shot and the two I had shot, were stirring.

“Um, I thought they were dead?” Fun Ghoul muttered, glancing at Poison for an answer.

“Me too.” Party Poison said, turning back and all but dragging Fun Ghoul along with them. I watched in horror as the clones began to rise, it wasn’t long before they noticed us at the end of the hallway. 

“Shit.” I said, not entirely finding an appropriate way to react. They began to walk towards us. “Okay, you guys might want to walk a bit faster.” I said, trying not to let the panic show. What the hell was going on?

“Well I _can’t_ really walk much faster, my knees are being childish.” Fun Ghoul said in frustration, attempting to walk faster and spasming when he did, Party Poison had to catch him. “Hmm, yeah you guys should go on without me, I’ll just slow yo-”

“Stop being such a goddam drama queen and hold this.” Party poison handed Fun Ghoul the ray gun and without any sort of effort whatsoever, bent down and picked up Fun Ghoul bridal style. 

“What the-” I began to ask. Fun Ghoul looked about as confused as I did.

Party Poison didn’t acknowledge either of us. Instead, they began to run, building momentum, carrying Fun Ghoul towards the exit.

I followed close behind, sometimes pausing so I could shoot at the clones in pursuit. The longer we ran, the more that seemed to appear. It wasn’t long before we had a whole mob behind us. Shooting at us, running, causing trouble and coming very close to catching up. I was about to give up hope when Party Poison stopped on front of a double door and gestured for me to open it. I opened the door quickly, they walked out into the garage. I closed the door behind us. 

“Okay, perfect. Time to pick a car.” I said, glancing at the various choices. We just decided to make our way to the nearest car when Fun Ghoul patted Party Poison on the shoulder. 

“Wait, hold on. Look.” Party Poison and I both looked towards where Ghoul was pointing and…

“Is that…” Poison started.

“No way!” I said in response.

We ran over to it, coming at a stop before none other than the Trans Am. 

“I thought- oh my, they’ve kept it all this time?” I couldn’t believe my eyes. The last time I had seen this car had been…

It had been the day of their death.

We solemnly stared at it, at the stickers, the paint… The lyrics and logos… Most of all, we stared at the killjoy spider on the hood. If there was one thing that screamed home more than that diner we left behind, it was this car.

Though our moment of awe was cut short by the double doors bursting open.

“I’ll drive!” Party Poison announced. They left Fun Ghoul at the passengers side and quickly made their way towards the drivers seat. I had no trouble making myself comfortable in the drivers seat. Once we were all in the car, Party Poison began to look around. “Keys, keys! We need keys!” 

“Hot-wire it!” Fun Ghoul suggested, flinching when they began to shoot at us.

“Shit!” Party Poison said. I just reached forward and lowered the sun visor. The keys fell onto Party Poison’s lap. “Oh wow.” 

They then turned the key in ignition and hit the gas like there was no tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very fast paced, but I hope it was still enjoyable. Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
